Portable drying rack



ANNA VITAL:

C /aA 7 United States Patent PORTABLE DRYING RACK Anna Vitale, 1077 New York Ave., Brooklyn 31, NY.

Filed July 14, 1958, Ser. No. 748,415

2 Claims. (Cl. 211-113) This invention relates to laundry apparatus and, more particularly, to a portable dryer.

It is often necessary to launder various garments during trips, hotel stays, and the like, especially when individuals are required to travel for business or pleasure over prolonged periods of time. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a drip dryer unit that is extremely simple in construction, efiicient in use, and which can be readily carried in a suitcase or the like for convenient use during such periods of travel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable drying rack that occupies a minimum amount of storage space, has no parts that require assembly, and which may be attached to any desired stationary object,

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a portable drying rack of the type described that is constructed from simple basic components, and which can be manufactured in large quantities at a relatively low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drying rack made in accordance with the present invention in operative use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse cross sectional view of certain parts of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rack shown in Figure l in a storage position;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of another part of the present invention; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse cross sectional view of a swivel hook forming another part of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, a portable drying rack made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a main support member in the form of a plurality of spacer rod sections 15, each having end fittings 12', connected together in longitudinally aligned relationship by means of a coupling member 12. As is more clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4 of the drawing, each such coupling member 12 is provided with a plurality of angularly spaced apart sleeves 14, each one of which is operative to receive a separate element. One pair of diametrically opposite sleeves-14 receive adjacent ends of the spacer rod sections 15, while the opposite pair of diametrically opposite sleeves 14 receive separate hanger bars 17. Each of the hanger bars 17 is contoured to properly support a garment 18 placed thereupon, in the manner illustrated, so as to allow it to hang, free of wrinkles, during drying.

The center one of the couplings 12 is provided with a bell shaped or dome shaped housing 19 that receives one 2,977,001 Patented Mar. 28, 1961 end of a ball chain unit 20, the opposite end of which is connected to a hook member 21 for releasable engagement with any stationary object, such as a shower curtain rod 22, or the like. Auxiliary hook elements in the form of swivel hooks 23 are supported in spaced apart relationship, one intermediate each pair of hanger bar sets 17. Each such swivel hook 23 has a head 24 that is rotatably supported within a depending bearing 25 of a sleeve 26. Each such sleeve 26 is rotatably supported upon a reduced rod section 28 of the unit so as to permit free rotation thereof about the longitudinal axis of the rod sections 15 during use. Each of the hooks 23 is also free to swivel about its bearing mounting 25, whereby such auxiliary hooks can be folded flat with a substantially common plane of the rod sections 15 and the hanger bars 17, when placed within a portable unit, such as a carrying case 30.

It will now be recognized that this unitrequires no assembly, can be readilysupported upon any stationary object, and can safely support a large number of garments simultaneously for a continuous and wrinkle-free drying operation. Each of the auxiliary hooks 23 may be used for various types of garments other than shirts, coats, and the like, which are supported directly upon the main hanger bar sections 17.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be-understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1 A portable drying rack comprising, in combination, a main support member, a plurality of rigid garment hangers individually supported in spaced apart parallel relationship upon said main support member, a plurality of auxiliary garment hangers supported upon said main support member one intermediate said rigid garment hangers, means for suspending said main support member from a stationary object, said main support member comprising a plurality of rod sections, coupling members securing said rod sections together in longitudinal axial alignment with each other, each of said rigid garment hangers comprising a pair of bars one extending outwardly from the opposite sides of each of said coupling members substantially perpendicular to said rod sections, said auxiliary garment hangers each comprising a hook, and a sleeve rotatably supported upon each rod'section pivotally supporting each said hook.

2. A portable drying rack as set forth in claim 1, wherein said suspension means comprises a flexible chain connected at one end to oneof said coupling members, and a hook at the opposite end of said chain for engagement with a stationary object.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Norway of 1954 

